The Captain and Commander
by NarcissaMalfoy1119
Summary: A collection of J/C one shots :D
1. To Live Again

_**Hey all! :D So, this whole thing is basically just a collection of J/C one shots...each chapter is a new story and has absolutely nothing to do with other chapters. Basically I'm annoyed with how Voyager turned out and have turned to writing in order to get it right :D **_

_**This first fic is basically Post "Full Circle". Enjoy :D  
~Cissa  
**_

* * *

Chakotay sat on the couch in his living room, sipping coffee and looking out his window. The rain smiting the window panes like bullets during a war matched his mood perfectly. Thunder rumbled and lightning flashed, showing Chakotay that the Gods shared in his grief and despair.

"It's been ten years," he thought to himself, "ten long years since I last held her in my arms." He missed her desperately…didn't know how he was ever going to get over her. It'd been ten years and the pain had finally started to subside somewhat, but it was worse today - the tenth anniversary of Kathryn's death.

When he had first met Kathryn he fell in love instantly. She was beautiful, to be sure, with soft auburn hair and alluring green eyes. Still, that wasn't what attracted him to her. Her strength, compassion, wisdom, and wit were the defining features of Kathryn in his mind. He missed her so much it hurt inside! And to know it had almost been, but never was…that was the worst of all.

Kathryn had turned him down the first time on New Earth, saying it was inappropriate for a Captain and First Officer to be romantically involved, and he knew she was right. So, for the seven years in the Delta Quadrant he was content to be her advisor, her officer, and her friend. They shared meals together, talked with one another, and had come to know each other better than they knew themselves. Chakotay tried to move on - had some dalliances with other women - but still, he was always in love with Kathryn. When they finally returned to earth Kathryn was made an Admiral and Chakotay Captain of Voyager. They were no longer officially working together, and still Chakotay did nothing. After being shut down the first time he waited for her to make the first move. This had proven to be a huge mistake…one Chakotay had regretted for the last ten years.

Again he tried to forget her, and not seeing her everyday helped somewhat. Still, she was always lingering in his thoughts. Then she came aboard Voyager for a mission and they were together as much as before, just renewing the feelings he felt for her and hers for him as well. About a year after their return she had come to visit him while he was on duty and everything came pouring out. Then she said those beautiful words… "I never said _never_." While he was waiting for her to make the first move, she had been waiting for him, for the perfect moment when it would become clear to both of them what to do. She made him a deal: in ten months when he returned from his mission they would meet in Venice and they would begin their journey together; and they sealed that deal with a kiss. From that moment on he had been a giddy school boy; finally he had Kathryn and he was never going to let her go again. He left on his mission and returned ten months later, beaming over to Venice as soon as he could. He waited…and waited…and waited. Seconds became minutes and minutes turned into hours. Finally, Mark had shown up and changed his life forever; "She's dead," he had replied to Chakotay's pointed inquiries.

Now, ten years later, he still missed her, still felt the pain at her loss at the hands of the Borg. Now the Borg were destroyed he had had his revenge, but he didn't have Kathryn back…and she was all he'd ever wanted. He thought that destroying the Borg would bring him some semblance of peace, but he was wrong. She was still gone, and she was never coming back to him.

Suddenly, out of the darkness a sing-song voice chimed: _Never say never my dear Commander. _The voice seemed vaguely familiar, but Chakotay couldn't quite place it. Whirling around he was startled to see an orb of bright white light, small at first but slowly growing bigger and brighter, finally exploding in a burst so bright Chakotay had to cover his eyes to keep from being blinded. When the light cleared Chakotay couldn't believe what he was seeing…Kathryn was standing there in front of him in her lavender bathrobe, her long auburn hair cascading down her back. She was smiling her biggest smile for him, tears glistening in her bright eyes.

After several seconds where he just stood there and stared at her, she took a tentative step forward. "Chakotay…" she said hesitantly. Hearing her say his name was all he needed; tears flowing down his cheeks he ran to her, scooping her into his arms as he kissed her for the first time in over ten years. She returned his kiss with equal enthusiasm and they didn't break apart for several minutes.

When they finally did, he still held her close afraid that she would disappear if he let her go. She rested her head on his chest as he buried his face in her hair, drinking in her scent of spices that he missed so much. "This can't possibly be happening," he whispered, "I must be dreaming."

She looked up at him and cupped his face in her hands, "You're not dreaming. I'm here with you and I'm never going to leave again."

"But…how?" he asked, "You're…dead…"

"Not quite..." she replied with a little smile, "Can we sit down? Then I can explain." He took her hand and led her to the sofa, drawing her to his side as they sat down.

"Well, where to begin…"

"How about in the Borg Cube?" he prompted.

"Okay…well, I went to explore this inactive Borg Cube in order to prove to the Admiralty that there was no need to send Voyager back into the Delta Quadrant. Suddenly the drones activated and assimilated me, effectively turning me into their new Queen." At the recollection Kathryn shuddered and curled up closer to Chakotay, "It was horrible. I was still me…I had my own thoughts and feelings. However, the collective mind dominated and ruled everything I said or did. I had the horror of watching people die on my orders. When Seven and Star Fleet effectively destroyed the cube it was a release from the prison I had been held captive in for weeks." Several moments of silence passed as Kathryn again tried to collect her thoughts. Then she continued, "When the cube was destroyed I remember complete and utter darkness then, all of a sudden, a bright light. Suddenly before me stood a beautiful woman all dressed in a white robe. 'I am Lady Q' she told me. 'We have been watching you Kathryn Janeway, and we are very interested. You have a unique opportunity before you my dear,' she had continued, 'You will become one of us…an immortal, omnipotent Q. You will be my personal companion and will live in the continuum forever.' After several minutes of stunned silence I replied, 'I thank you for the honor, Lady Q, but I must politely decline. I have an appointment to keep on earth and someone very special waiting for me. If you would be so kind as to transport me there, I would be forever grateful.' 'I'm afraid, Kathryn, that you have no say in the matter,' she replied, and then we vanished, only to appear in the continuum. From that day on I was as she said, a Q who was her personal companion. I had all power, except to leave the continuum. That was stripped from me the day I used it to come back to earth and see you…"

"You came back…to see me?" he asked, stunned by everything she had told him.

"Yes. Do you remember that day you were walking on the beach and you heard my voice? You turned around and saw me standing a ways down the beach from you and you began running, only to have me disappear seconds later?"

How could he have forgotten? It had been mere weeks after her death. He had been filled with elation, only to have it dashed moments later as she disappeared in a burst of light. "Of course," he replied, "You don't mean…"

She simply nodded, "Yes, I was really there." Another bit of silence passed as Chakotay processed this new piece of information before Kathryn continued, "After that I wasn't allowed out anymore. I had abused my power and it was taken from me. In this way ten years passed. I never stopped trying to escape, never stopped keeping watch over you and making sure you were okay. I never stopped loving you…" she finished, tilting her chin up and kissing him lightly.

"After that time passed, Lady Q called me into her room one day. Next to her stood a very familiar figure…the Q we met on Voyager all those years ago. 'Mon Captain' he greeted me, kissing my hand, 'It's been too long.' 'What do you want Q? Why have you brought me here?' I asked him. 'My dear, sweet Kathryn' he crooned 'I simply wanted to test you and your dear Commander.' 'Test us?' I replied, obviously confused. 'But of course! I had to see whether you two really deserved each other, whether you would remain faithful over the course of time. You see, we tested you with the delights of the continuum - the power, the immortality – but you still held onto him. He has spent these last ten years believing you were dead, yet his heart still belongs to you and only you' he said with obvious joy. 'I'm afraid I still don't quite follow," I replied. 'My dear Kathryn, don't you see! You've passed the test! Now go home and be with your beloved!' And with that he snapped his fingers and I disappeared, only to find myself here." With that Kathryn finished, letting out a sigh of relief at the end of her tale.

"So you're saying, this was all a test set up by that Q?" Chakotay asked, after several moments of processing her information.

"Yes."

"And we passed?"

"With flying colors," she replied with a smile.

"So then, you're here…to stay?"

"As long as you want me." Elation filled his heart as Chakotay drew here to him again and kissed her deeply and intensely. He couldn't believe she was back, alive and well, and that she was finally his!

"I still can't help feeling that this is all a dream," he said when they broke apart minutes later.

"Believe it," she replied with an arch look, "I'm no dream."

Smiling at her he kissed her again. Suddenly his body tensed and his eyes narrowed, "Where is that Q? Keeping me away from you for all these years! Why I…" Kathryn silenced him by putting a finger to his lips.

"Don't worry. I told him exactly what I thought about his little test," she said with a smile.

"I'm sure you did," Chakotay chuckled, drawing her even closer to him.

"I've missed you so much Kathryn! Don't you ever leave me again!"

"I don't plan on it. I love you Chakotay, and I always will."

After several minutes of blissful silence Chakotay suddenly had an idea. "Marry me," he said, looking down into her green eyes.

"What?" she said, surprised by the suddenness of the proposal.

"I've had to spend the last ten years without you Kathryn and they nearly killed me! I never want to have to go through that again. Please say you'll marry me!"

"Yes!" she said, her eyes shining, "Of course I will!"

Smiling her kissed her again. "I'm sorry I don't have a ring for you."

"That's okay," she replied, "You are the only thing I want. I love you Chakotay."

"And I love you Kathryn Janeway."


	2. Loves Timebomb

_**I loved the episode Dreadnaught, but was disappointed in how things turned out. The writers could have taken things much farther...**_

_**Enjoy! Please R&R, comments are always appreciated :D  
**_

_**~Cissa  
**_

* * *

From the moment Kathryn entered the bridge, Chakotay knew something was wrong. A serious look on her face she commenced, "Gentlemen, I believe our best chance at stopping Dreadnought now is to set off a large antimatter explosion directly in it's path." Trying to figure out her plan Chakotay chimed in with, "To work, it would take more energy than all of our photons put together. "

"Or more to the point, it would take a warp core breach," Tuvok finished, getting to the heart of the matter. All of a sudden Chakotay knew what Kathryn was going to do…she was going to sacrifice the ship, herself, in order to save the planet in Dreadnought's path.

"You'll be in charge of the evacuation, Commander," she said after a moment's silence.

"I'm not leaving you on the ship," he said immediately, without thinking. He didn't know what would happen, but he did know one thing – he couldn't lose Kathryn. She was his life, and he wasn't going to just let her go.

"Captain's prerogative. Get the rest of the crew to the escape pods. I'll send the senior officers to join you in a few minutes." Her face was cold and hard, yet determined. Chakotay knew there was no way of talking her out of this ridiculous scheme of hers, but he had to try. As she turned to go, he reached out and grabbed her arm, his look pleading with her not to go through with this.

"We don't have time to debate this, Chakotay," she said, looking him straight in the eye, her look just daring him to contradict her. It was at this moment that Chakotay knew it was completely useless. She had made her choice and there was no going back. He nodded.

"Everyone except senior officers, with me," he called, leading the crew. At the door her turned around for one more look of her; the last look her would ever get of the woman he loved. She had already turned around and was standing in front of her captain's chair.

"Computer, initiate the self-destruct sequence. Authorisation Janeway pi one one zero. Set it at twenty minutes," she called; then those horrible words from the computer:

"Warning, self-destruct sequence has been initiated. Warp core overload in twenty minutes."

Turning around, Kathryn gave him one final look. This time he could see the fear behind her actions, normally so well hidden. He knew her too well though for her to hide anything from him. She gave him a sad little smile before heading back to her captains chair. Turning around he left to direct the evacuation of the crew members – he had twenty minutes and time was of the essence. He had to forget about Kathryn and do his job. Problem was…he didn't think he could…

…

In the split-second after Chakotay grabbed her arm a flood of emotions ran through Kathryn. She had come to care for this kind, gentle, handsome man who was her first officer…more than she ever thought she could care about anyone ever again. She knew what she had to do, but her feelings for him were making it very difficult. Still, she steeled herself and did what was necessary.

"We don't have time to debate this Chakotay," she said. For a second they stared at each other until he nodded his assent and began the evacuation. She turned away from him and gave the order, hearing the computer confirm the self-destruct sequence that would end her life in twenty minutes. Turning back around, she saw Chakotay looking at her. For a second her guard dropped, and she could tell he saw straight through her…all her fears and insecurities. She gave him a little smile, hoping to reassure him the she turned around before she could completely break. Already she could feel the tears threatening to run down her cheeks…knowing she would never see him again.

…

"The missile's containment field is collapsing," Tuvok reported several minutes later. B'Lana had managed to get inside Dreadnought and was working on disabling it from within. Apparently she had finally been successful!

"Beam her back, now. Hang on!" Kathryn ordered, getting them out of the way just as Dreadnought exploded.

"Warning. Self destruct sequence has been initiated. Warp core overload in one minute," the computer chimed in, reminding Kathryn of her imminent demise.

"Computer, terminate self destruct sequence. Authorisation Janeway pi one one zero." "Confirmed. Sequence terminated," the computer said, causing Kathryn to let a sigh of relief. Voyager was safe. The planet and people below them were safe. Her crew was safe. Chakotay was safe…

"Janeway to Torres. B'Elanna, are you," she began, checking up on the person who had risked so much to save them all.

"She's here in Sickbay, Captain. Please turn to your Emergency Medical Holographic channel," a voice said over the com system. Running to the EMH channel, Kathryn turned it on to talk to the Dr.

"Doctor, I forgot about you," she admitted quite bashfully.

"How flattering. I wanted to advise you that I took the liberty of beaming Lieutenant Torres from the Transporter room to Sickbay. She is somewhat singed around the edges but should make a complete recovery."

"Very good, Doctor. Janeway out," she said with a sigh of relief. "Mister Tuvok, prepare to retrieve our escape pods. Let's bring our crew home." Bring Chakotay home…to me, she thought wistfully.

"Aye, Captain," Tuvok said, preparing for the arrival of the pods.

…

Chakotay was watching the view screen, waiting for the last moments of his beloved's life, still praying for a miracle. Suddenly Dreadnought exploded, leaving the planet and Voyager intact.

"What just happened?" he asked Tom who was sitting next to him in the pod.

"I don't know. Maybe B'Lana found a way to detonate the missile."

"But then that would mean…"

"B'Lana could have been in the bomb when it exploded…" Tom finished, his face going white.

"I'm sure she's alright Tom," Chakotay said, comforting his friend. He knew Tom cared deeply for B'Lana, though he tried to hide it.

"I hope you're right Chakotay, I hope you're right."

The com screen chimed. He turned on the screen, seeing the beautiful face he never thought he'd see again.

"Kathryn!" he exclaimed, forgetting official protocol in his joy "um…Captain. I'm glad to see you're okay."

"Thank you Commander," she said, always professional, though Chakotay could see a little smile spreading across her face, "I'm glad everything worked out."

"Captain," Tom butted in, "Is B'Lana?"

"She's fine Lieutenant," she said with a knowing smile, "She's in sickbay right now being treated by the doctor. I've called to give you the all clear. You are free to return to the ship."

"We'll be there in a minute," he said, smiling and turning off the screen.

"Lieutenant, let's go home."

"Ay ay commander," Tom said, taking the controls and steering them back to Voyager.

…

Entering the bridge he saw her standing there, beautiful as ever. Spotting him she smiled her dazzling smile and walked towards him. Throwing caution to the wind, he ran to her engulfing her in his arms and kissing her deeply in front of the crew. Surprised at first, Kathryn soon warmed to his embrace, running her hands through his hair.

After several minutes they broke apart. "Captain…he said," drawing back ashamed of his sudden outburst of feeling, "I…I'm so sorry."

Walking towards him she cupped his face in her hands, "Did I give you permission to stop commander?" she said a gleam in her eye and a mischievous smile playing about her lips. He smiled, pulling her close and kissing her again, this time to the cheers of the crew.

"I love you Kathryn Jaeway," he whispered.

"And I love you Chakotay."


	3. Shall we Dance?

_**Shall we dance? **_

_**On a bright cloud of music shall we fly? **_

_**Shall we dance? **_

_**Shall we then say "Goodnight and mean "Goodbye"? **_

_**Or perchance, **_

_**When the last little star has left the sky, **_

_**Shall we still be together **_

_**With are arms around each other **_

_**And shall you be my new romance? **_

_**On the clear understanding **_

_**That this kind of thing can happen, **_

_**Shall we dance? **_

_**Shall we dance? **_

_**Shall we Dance?**_

Chakotay was in his apartment kitchen preparing a very special dinner. It had been six months since Voyager's return to the Alpha quadrant, six months since he had seen Kathryn. She had been so busy with the press and her promotion that she hadn't had time to see her old First Officer and friend. Now that situation was to be remedied…she finally had time to enjoy dinner with him, just like they used to do on Voyager.

"Come in" he said when his doorbell chimed, causing his heart rate to increase slightly. She entered, looking just as beautiful as ever: wearing the simple green dress she had worn on New Earth, her auburn hair loose around her shoulders and her eyes shining.

"Kathryn," he said coming over and embracing her, "it's wonderful to finally see you again."

"Chakotay! I'm sorry it's been so long. With work and everything, I've barely had time to see mom and Phoebe."

"Don't worry about that. You're here now, and I have a splendid meal prepared for us to enjoy. No replicator required."

Smiling she followed him into the kitchen where the sauces were simmering, vegetables boiling, and chicken baking. "Looks wonderful Chakotay and smells divine! Is there anything I can do to help?"

"You? No. I'd rather not risk my apartment getting burned down thanks," he responded with a smile, as she swatted at him playfully.

"One time! One time I set my quarters on fire cooking toast and you won't let me forget it!"

"Of course I won't," he grinned.

"Well, at least let me replicate up some coffee for the two of us. Then maybe we can sit and talk while dinner's cooking."

"Sounds wonderful," he replied. Kathryn walked over and replicated two steaming cups of coffee, then she joined him on the couch in the living room. Chakotay turned on some background music and they began to talk.

"So, how is Voyager's new captain?"

"He's hanging in there," Chakotay said with a smile, "I can't imagine how you did it Kathryn! I'm having a hard enough time as it is, and yet you guided us through seven years in the delta quadrant. You made it look so easy."

"Well I can assure you Chakotay, it wasn't easy. But I had a good first officer. He wasn't afraid to tell me when I was being stubborn or pigheaded, which normally I was. He also wasn't afraid to tell me when he disagreed with my decisions. His guidance saved our ship on a number of occasions. I couldn't have done it without him."

"Maybe I'll have to meet this guy. See if he'd be interested in helping me out," Chakotay returned with a wink, causing the both of them to laugh.

"I'm sure Tom is a wonderful first officer."

"He's the best I could have asked for." _Sin_c_e the person I really want is an Admiral now_, he finished silently in his head.

"How are Tom and B'Lana? And little Miral?"

"Still butting heads every other day and still as much in love as ever. Miral is a pride of her parent's eye and the perfect little girl to have on board."

"I miss them," Kathryn finished with a sigh, looking down at her fidgeting hands. Chakotay reached over and covered them with one of his, effectively stilling the movement.

"And they miss you too. The whole crew does. Voyager just isn't the same without her true captain in command of the bridge," he said, looking into her green eyes, all seriousness.

"Thank you Chakotay. That means a lot to me," she responded looking at him for several seconds before averting her gaze and blushing. The music changed to a fast paced swing song from the 1950's and Chakotay suddenly had an idea.

"Dance with me," he said, standing up and holding out his hands.

Blushing even more furiously then before Kathryn looked down and mumbled something about it's not being a good idea but he just shook his head.

"Come on Kathryn, dance with me," he said, grabbing both her hands and pulling her up, spinning around faster and faster until they were both giggling like little school children. Soon they got so dizzy the fell back onto the couch, laughing and gasping for breath.

"I can't breathe I'm laughing so hard," Kathryn said with a grin. Chakotay smiled back at her, glad to see he had successfully lifted her somber mood. He hated it when she was sad, when she was hurting. He had once told her that would stay by her side, doing everything to make her burdens lighter. He wasn't about to break that promise any time soon. The music then changed to a slow, romantic jazz tune. Chakotay stood up again and offered her his hand, more serious this time. After hesitating for several moments she took his hand and allowed him to lift her up and put his arms around her waist as they began swaying to the beat. It felt so right to have her there next to him in his arms; the heat of her body radiating to his, her scent of spices lingering in the air.

"Kathryn, do you remember that story I told you when we were on New Earth?" he asked after several moments of silence.

"Of course I do," she said, blushing furiously, her voice barely a whisper.

"I meant every word of it Kathryn…I'll always be here for you. If you need me, I'll come. If you need comfort, I'll be there to give it. I will never abandon you." Then, taking a deep breath to steel his nerves, he finished, "I love you Kathryn Janeway, and I always will."

After several seconds Kathryn looked up at him, "And just what do you expect me to say to that? Chakotay, I can't…" But she didn't get another word out. Chakotay grabbed her face in his hands and kissed her. Kathryn was surprised at first, but after several moments she found herself responding to his kiss, unleashing all the love she had kept pent up for all those years in the delta quadrant. After several minutes they broke apart. He looked at her expectantly, afraid of what she would say.

She cupped his face in her hands, tracing his cheek with her finger. "When you told me this before, I was your captain. A relationship between us was impossible. Now, I am no longer your captain. Instead…" she paused, taking a deep breath, "I am a woman who loves you and can't imagine her life without you." This time she kissed him, softly at first but with growing intensity. Drawing her to him, he held her close, running his hands through her long hair.

"I love you Chakotay, more than anything," she said as they broke apart, "What I can't understand it why you waited all these years for me to finally come to my senses."

"Where else was I going to go Kathryn? You were the only woman for me. I could never be with anybody else. If you couldn't love me, I would always be here for you as a friend."

"Well, I'm glad you stayed," she said, leaning her head on his chest as he held her close.

"And now that I'm here, I'm never going to leave. We'll be side by side, together, forever."

"Foever," Kathryn breathed, "I like the sound of that."

"Then you'll marry me Kathryn?" he said, looking as her expectantly.

"What do you think mister?" she replied with an arch grin, leaning in and kissing him.


	4. Hunting for Love!

_**I don't know about you guys, but I was very annoyed at how "Hunters" ended. The**_**refore, I changed it...Enjoy ;D**

**~Cissa**

* * *

"How are you doing?" Chakotay asked Kathryn, staring at her intensely.

"Me? I'm fine," she said, brushing away his concern like she always did.

"You'd say that if you'd just had your legs torn off by a Trakan Beast," he countered, unwilling to let the matter drop. Someone had to care for Kathryn, even if she didn't care for herself. "Look what you've been through in the last few days. We finally make a connection with home and then it's ripped away from us. We manage to make another enemy who's going to try and hunt us down and destroy us, and on top of that…"he trailed off, unwilling to reawaken any painful memories.

"It's all right. You can say it," she said, heaving a sigh and giving him an exasperated look, "On top of all that, I got a Dear John letter." Pausing for several seconds, she continued. "It wasn't really a surprise. I guess I didn't really expect him to wait for me considering the circumstances. It made me realize that I was using him as a safety net, you know, as a way to avoid becoming involved with someone else," she finished, looking into his deep brown eyes, then blushing and looking away again.

"You don't have that safety net anymore," Chakotay said, grabbing her hand and stroking the back with his thumb.

"That's right," she replied, pulling her hand away from his. "Then again, my life is far from uneventful here in the Delta quadrant. It's not like I would have had a chance to pursue a relationship even if I had realised I was alone."

"You're hardly alone, and to my way of thinking, there's still plenty of time," he said, unwilling to lose this precious opportunity fate had given him.

"Plenty of time…"she murmured to herself as if she was considering the importance of his words.

Taking a deep breath, Chakotay leaned in and took her hand again. "Kathryn, I told you something two years ago, and I meant it. You are not alone. I will always be her for you to lift your burdens, to care for you…to love you." He watched her carefully for several moments, but he saw no reaction on her beautiful face. She still continued to look resolutely down at the floor, her auburn hair falling down loosely around her shoulders. Reaching out his other hand he gently tucked a wisp of her hair behind her ear, stroking her cheek as he did so. "I'm never going to leave you Kathryn," he whispered into her ear.

Finally she looked up at him, tears glistening in her beautiful eyes. "And I don't want you to," she whispered back, her voice shaking slightly with emotion.

His handsome smile spreading across his face, Chakotay took Kathryn in his arms and kissed her passionately. Responding to his kiss, Kathryn ran her hands through his hair as he held her close. They broke apart after several minutes. Not bearing to let her go, Chakotay still held her close, burying his face in her hair and drinking in her scent of spices and freshly ground coffee. She nestled against his chest leaning into his embrace.

"I love you Kathryn," he whispered, brushing his lips against her ear as he spoke.

"And I love you Chakotay," she responded, giving him a peck on the cheek.

Suddenly the two were interrupted by a voice coming over the com system, "Neelix to the Ready room. The party's about to begin and there are only two people missing."

Rolling her eyes in a way that made Chakotay laugh she responded, "We're on our way."

Leaning in she kissed him one more time before taking his hand and pulling him off the couch, slipping her arm through his.

"Are you sure you want to walk into this party…together…like this?" he asked hesitantly as they walked through the corridors. He knew how sensitive she was with her reputation as ship's captain and he didn't want to ruin this wonderful moment with some rash action.

Releasing his arm she turned to him with a hand on a hip and an annoyed look on her face. "Are you ashamed to be seen with me?" she demanded.

"Not at all…"

"Well then, why ever not should I take you as my date to the party?"

"The crew…"

"To hell with the crew!" she cried walking over to him and running her hand down his cheek. "I love you Chakotay. And…I think…you love me."

"More than anything in the galaxy," he said, drawing her to him and brushing her lips with his.

"Well then, why shouldn't the crew know about our happiness? We've done nothing to be ashamed of."

"You're right of course," he said shrugging his shoulders in defeat.

"I always am," she said, giving him another kiss before linking her arm back through his. "Now, let's get to this party before Nelix hunts us down."

…

Walking into the mess hall arm in arm the Captain and Commander drew many curious eyes to them. It wasn't the fact that they came together…that was normal…it was the fact that both of them were glowing. The Captain was radiant, hanging on Chakotay's arm as she whispered something in his ear causing the pair of them to laugh. Chakotay beamed his brightest smile at everyone, but never left the Captain's side for a second.

"What just happened?" Tom asked B'Lana as they sipped their punch together in a corner.

"I think the captain finally found true love," B'Lana said, a smile spreading across her face.


	5. I Should Have Kissed You

_**Hey all! So, I've come to love this song on the radio and thought I fit perfectly with my favorite couple. Set post Coda. Hope you enjoy! :D **_

_**Song: GLORIANA "(Kissed You) Good Night"**_

* * *

_**I dropped you off**_

_**Just a little after midnight**_

_**Sat in my car**_

_**Till you turned off your porch light**_

_**I should have kissed you**_

_**I should have pushed you up against the wall**_

_**I should have kissed you**_

_**Just like I wasn't scared at all**_

"Thanks for coming with me Chakotay. I had a great time," Kathryn said to me as we walked arm in arm back from the holo deck after our moonlit sail on Lake George.

"It was my pleasure. As you said, conquering death is definitely something to celebrate." She rewarded me with her smile that caused my heart to beat just a little bit faster. Kathryn was always beautiful, but when she smiled her face just lit up and took on a whole new radiance just made her even more gorgeous.

"Next time, it's your turn," she said with a teasing glance that made me laugh.

"Gladly," I said. Almost losing her had made me realize exactly how much I loved this woman walking next to me. Holding her in my arms with no breath or pulse was the worst moment of my life and something I never wanted to experience again. I would gladly sacrifice myself so she wouldn't go through that experience again.

We reached her quarters and she turned to me, taking my hand in her small one and giving it a squeeze. "I'm glad you were there to save me," she said, looking up at me.

"Me too. I'll always be there for you Kathryn," I replied. At that moment I wanted to take her in my arms and kiss her. However, I knew she wouldn't like it and it took all my self-control to refrain from drawing her to me.

"I know," she said, giving my hand one final squeeze before dropping it, saying goodnight, and walking into her quarters. I stared after her for several moments before turning around and walking away.

_**You couldn't see me**_

_**Watching through the window**_

_**Wondering what went wrong**_

_**Praying that you wouldn't go**_

_**You should have kissed me**_

_**You should have pushed me up against the wall**_

_**You should have kissed me**_

_**I was right on the edge and ready to fall**_

I said goodnight to Chakotay and entered my quarters. Immediately I turned around and activated the view screen on my door so I could see him. He stood there for several seconds before turning around and walking down the hall. At that moment my heart plummeted into the pit of my stomach… _he didn't kiss me _was the only thought going through my head. _Why didn't he kiss me?_ I thought he used to love me, and my recent near death experience had helped me realize how much I loved him…o how I loved him! I realized I couldn't live without him and that he was my home and my life. I'd been so stupid putting my crew ahead of my heart and now it was too late. He hadn't kissed me…

_**I turned off the car**_

_**Ran through the yard**_

_**Back to your front door**_

_**Before I could knock**_

_**You turned the lock**_

_**And met me on the front porch**_

_**And I kissed you**_

_**Goodnight**_

_**And now that I've kissed you**_

_**It's a good night good night baby goodnight**_

As Chakotay started walking back from his quarters he suddenly stopped, and began thinking. He had almost lost Kathryn once, was he really going to lose her again simply out of fear? He turned around and began running back to Kathryns quarters. Before he could ring her door chime the doors opened and she stood there, looking up at him.

"Chakotay?" she asked, a hint of confusion in her voice. Without a word he drew her to him and kissed her lightly. He looked at her, apprehensive and scared for her reaction.

"Did I tell you you could stop commander?" she said, a teasing gleam in her eyes and a coquettish smile on her face. Joy welling up inside him, he pulled her even closer and kissed her more deeply and passionately then the first time.

"I love you Kathryn Janeway" he whispered in her ear as they broke apart and she rested her head on his chest as she stroked her long auburn hair.

"And I love you Chakotay."

_**I turned off the car**_

_**ran through the yard**_

_**back to your front door**_

_**Half scared to death can't catch my breath**_

_**Aren't these the moments we live for**_


	6. Fighting for Her

_**Hello again! :D This little one shot takes place after the Season 5 episode, "The Fight." Enjoy ;D **_

_**~Cissa**_

* * *

Chakotay was on the holodeck boxing. It was how he blew off steam; and with his most recent experience with the aliens and chaotic space he definitely needed to unwind and forget the mental trauma of the encounter. Boxing allowed him to do that.

"Come on son, focus! You're all over the place," Boothby shouted to him from the sidelines. As he dodged the jab of his opponent, a large Andorian, and prepared to fire an answering shot he heard a familiar voice call out, "Computer. Delete all holographic characters." Boothby and the Andorian vanished as he turned around to see a petite figure walking towards him, wearing a grey tank top with boxing gloves in hand.

"I thought I'd see how you fared against a real opponent," Kathryn Janeway said to him, an arch smile on her face as she slipped blithely through the ropes of the arena.

"I don't fight women," he said simply, shaking his head.

"Well that's a very chauvinistic attitude coming from someone who's taken orders from a woman for the past five years," she replied, hand on her hip.

"Which is exactly why I won't fight you; I respect you too much. I don't want to hurt you."

"What makes you think you'll hurt me?" she said with raised eyebrows. Then she smiled, "Come on Chakotay. I'm a big girl, I know what I'm doing. Let's see if you do."

"Alright Captain, if you insist," he said, returning her smile and heading to the opposite side of the ring.

"Computer, begin program," Kathryn called as she took her place.

"Round One…begin," the mechanized voice of the computer said as the bell dinged to begin their fight.

Slowly circling each other, Chakotay decided to take the first move. He lightly jabbed at her midriff, too afraid of hurting her to put his full strength into the blow. She blocked it easily, countering with a strong left hook to his face that sent him reeling.

Shaking it off, he looked over to see her smiling. "Maybe that's the last time you underestimate your opponent," she said with a teasing look on her face.

"You shouldn't have done that," he said returning her smile. He charged at her, taking her by surprise as he hoisted her over his shoulder. Kicking and flailing, she was completely helpless as he carried her over to the edge of the arena and dropped her over the ropes onto the mats below.

Laughing, Chakotay watched as she stood up pouting with a vengeful gleam in her eye. "So that's how you want to play is it," she said as she climbed back into the ring.

"You started it," he replied, with an innocent little shrug of his shoulders.

"All right then mister…bring it on." They circled each other again, watching for openings and signs of weakness. This time Kathryn was the first to move, feigning a hook then striking his chin with an uppercut. He retaliated with a swift kick around her feet, trying to knock her off balance. Instead she jumped and kicked him hard in the chest, knocking out his breath and sending him crashing to the ground. Gasping for air he watched as she walked over to him and put her foot on his chest as she looked down at him. "I win," she said with a smile.

"Not quite," he said. He reached up and grabbed her foot, pulling it out from under her and sending her crashing to the floor next to him. Rolling over slightly, he put his elbow on her stomach and smiled his most dazzling smile down at her, "Pinned ya." Then, without thinking about it, he leaned down and kissed her softly. Stunned, he looked down at her, awaiting her reaction. She reached up, lacing her arms around his neck and pulling him closer, kissing him again, longer and harder this time. Finally breaking apart after several minutes he looked down at her, his eyes shining with happiness.

"What ever happened to 'defining parameters'?" he teased.

"To hell with perimeters," she said, cupping his face with her hand, "Ever since you first set foot on my bridge I've been in love with you. Seeing you suffering on that biobed made me realize just how much." As she began tracing his tattoo with her finger she said, "Five years ago I didn't even know your name. Now I can't imagine a day without you." Then she looked deeply into his brown eyes, "I love you Chakotay."

"I never thought I'd ever hear you say that," he said, drawing her to him again and kissing her forehead.

She leaned her head on his chest and they lay there content in each other's arms for several minutes, till she smiled and began laughing.

"What's so funny?" he asked.

"It's just…we're both sweaty and disgusting. Maybe we should go clean up and then you can come over to my quarters for dinner."

Chuckling, he got up from the floor then took her hands in his as he helped her up.

"Agreed," he replied, "on one condition."

"And that would be?" she asked, curious.

"I get to do the cooking," he said with a wink.

"Deal," she said laughing as she slipped her arm around his waist.

Wrapping his arm around her shoulders he led her into the hall and back towards their quarters, causing stares from more than one direction. But he didn't care. He finally had Kathryn and nothing was going to stop him now.

"Shall we say 1800 hours?" he asked her as they reached her quarters.

"Sounds perfect," she said standing on tiptoe and giving him a quick kiss. "Though I wouldn't object if you came over earlier," she finished with a sly look.

"1750 it is," he said with a laugh kissing the top of her head before letting her go.

Walking back to his quarters Chakotay had a new spring in his step…Kathryn was finally his. All was right with the universe.


	7. Un-Shattered

_**Shattered...the other episode where J/C could have been but never was. Well, I'm going to fix that along with touches of Naomi/Icheb and Dr./7 Enjoy :D **_

_**~Cissa**_

* * *

"Hmm. There!"

"Excellent. You recognized the complementary base pair." Naomi and Icheb were sitting in Cargo Bay 2 together working on a puzzle when Chakotay walked in.

"Commander," Icheb said, standing up.

"At ease. I'm just passing through," Chakotay said, smiling at the pair of them.

"I apologise for the condition of the Cargo Bay, sir. I've been tutoring Naomi."

"Looks like you found a creative approach."

"Thank you, but I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell Seven. I'm supposed to be writing a paper on transwarp instability."

"Don't worry, your secret's safe, as long as you keep mine."  
"Sir?"

"Antarian cider, not the replicated stuff. There are only a couple of bottles left and I don't want Mister Neelix getting his hands on them."

"Then you should store them with the salvaged Borg components. Neelix never inventories those containers. He says they give him the creeps," Icheb suggested.

"Officer-level thinking, Icheb. Would you mind?" Chakotay said, smiling.

"Of course not," Icheb replied, nodding as Chakotay left the room.

"I wonder what that was all about," he queried, returning to Naomi and their puzzle.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Why does the commander need special Antarian cider? What's the occasion?"

"He must be having dinner with the Captain," Naomi said, matter-of-factly without looking up from her project.

"Why would that matter?" Icheb said, completely confused at this point.

"Because Chakotay's in love with her."

"The Commander…has romantic feelings…toward the Captain?" Icheb was completely lost now, relying on the young girl for information.

"Of course. My mom says the Captain's in love with him too, but she just doesn't want to admit it," Naomi said, finally looking up and giving Icheb a look that clearly said she thought he was stupid.

"How can you tell?" he asked, curious to learn more about human mating behavior.

"Well, they always have dinner together…"

"Friends do that."

"Do friends always have special Antarian cider?"

"No…I suppose not…"

"Not to mention the way he looks at her when they're on the bridge or the way she smiles when he enters a room…"

"Is it different then from the way they behave around other people?"

"Icheb, for somebody so smart, you really are completely unobservant."

…

"Come in," Kathryn said, smiling as Chakotay walked in with his bottle of cider, "You're late. Unfortunately, so's dinner."

"Let me guess. You burned the roast again," he said with a chuckle.

"Once, a long time ago, I called this replicator a glorified toaster. It never forgave me."

"I didn't realise replicators held grudges," he replied, causing the two of them to laugh and clink their glasses together. She turned back to the replicator and he continued to stare down at her as she wrestled with the machinery, smiling at her struggles.

"What's so funny?" she asked, when she looked over and saw him smiling.

_You _he wanted to reply, but that would bring them into dangerous territory. As much as he wanted her, he would certainly rather live with what little he had than loose her. Thinking quickly, he replied with, "I just left Icheb and Naomi assembling a jigsaw puzzle in the Cargo Bay."

Kathryn smiled, "Find me the thermal regulator, please. How is Icheb?"

"In a few years, he may be running the ship," Chakotay replied, relieved that he had been successful in steering the conversation onto safer ground.

"I don't know about you, but I'm not ready to retire just yet," she replied, giving him a mischievous look. Suddenly an explosion sounded and the ship shook. Immediately Kathryn reached up to her combadge, "Janeway to the Bridge. Report." Chakotay sighed; looks like their nice dinner would have to be put on hold for a while.

...

As you might recall, the ship was then shattered into various time frames and Chakotay was the only one to be able to move back and forth between them…until he inoculated the one and only Kathryn Janeway that is ;D

…

Entering Astrometrics, Chakotay and Kathryn were greeted by a grown Icheb and Naomi plotting the various shattered sections of the ship. They talked for several minutes, completed their mission, and continued on their way, leaving the girl and ex-borg together.

"See Icheb, I told you all those years ago the Commander loved the Captain," Naomi said with a smug look.

"I don't follow…"

Naomi sighed and rolled her eyes, "The commander needs help putting the ship back into temporal alignment and who does he pick? The Captain!"

"She's a skilled officer. It's a logical choice."

"The captain hates temporal mechanics. A logical choice would have been someone like Seven who has a background in that sort of thing."

"I suppose so…"

"And don't you remember the day they died? We were attacked and the Captain pushed the Commander out of the way of a console that was about to explode."

"She was protecting a valued member of her crew…"

"She was saving the man she loved. And Chakotay; remember, he died of a broken heart a few hours later."

"The Dr. didn't know what the cause of death was."

"That's because a broken heart isn't in any of the medical databases Icheb."

"I'm still not completely convinced of the accuracy of your analysis."

"Icheb, trust me. A woman knows these things."

"Oh really?" he said, actually giving her a teasing smile.

"Really," she said, giving him a quick kiss then going back to work. The captain and commander were going to need all the help they could get.

…

Soon Janeway and Chakotay found themselves in on of Tom's Captain Proton holodeck programs and captured by Chaotica.

"I'm open to suggestions," Janeway said, clearly annoyed at being strapped to a table.

"Our best bet is to play along," Chakotay replied, trying hard not to laugh at the ridiculous situation they found themselves in.

"Don't let me stop you," she replied, rolling her eyes.

"I'm not the one he's in love with," he countered. _Of course, that makes two of us, _he thought, staring at Kathryn, _He does have good taste in women. _Through his thoughts he was vaguely aware of Kathryn coming up with some story about aliens. Suddenly she stopped and was staring at him, obviously waiting for him to finish the story.

"From the eighth dimension," he added, hoping he hadn't completely botched the entire operation. Of course he had…apparently there were only five dimensions…who knew? Anyways, Kathryn's brilliance saved the day and they went on their way. Leaving the holodeck the two took one look at each other and burst out laughing. Oh how he loved her laugh!

"That was the most ridiculous thing I've ever encountered," she said through her giggles.

"Well, you handled it admirably," he said, offering her his arm as they continued on to their next generation.

"Just remind me to cancel Mr. Paris's holodeck privileges," she said, causing him to flash his dimpled smile.

_He really is quite handsome_, she thought, _No Kathryn! Supposedly he's your first officer. It would be…inappropriate_ she mentally slapped herself. _Of course…I can look…just not touch_ she finished, a sly smile playing across her lips as she took his arm just a little bit tighter.

...

A while later Chakotay was back in Engineering, dealing with Seska and the Kazon. Soon Kathryn and the other joined him and all seemed to be going according to plan until Seska grabbed Kathryn, causing Chakotay's stomach to lurch as he saw the woman he loved in the clutches of the Cardassian spy.

"Stop! Put down your weapons," Seska cried, pointing a phaser to Kathryn's neck.

"Don't listen to her," Janeway countered.

"Oh, your faithful First Officer isn't going to let you die, are you?" Seska said with a sly smile at Chakotay. _No…I would rather die myself_, he thought. "Very clever, Chakotay," Seska continued, "inoculating them with your serum. Now it's time to inoculate my people, so we can have access to the rest of the ship."

"I won't do that," he replied, never taking his brown eyes of Kathryn's blue ones.

"Then you just lost your Captain," Seska said. At that moment a rift opened and Seven walked out, disarming Seska before she even realized what happened.

…

Seska and the Kazon were neutralized and it was about time to get Voyager back in temporal alignment. However, Kathryn had one more question for Chakotay.

"Mind if I ask you one last question?" she said, almost like a shy school-girl.

"Will I have to break the Temporal Prime Directive to answer it?" he answered, smiling.

"Maybe, just a little," he replied rather shyly, "For two people who started off as enemies it seems we get to know each other pretty well, so I've been wondering. Just how close do we get?" Chakotay's breath caught in his throat and his heart started beating a mile a minute. Seeing her staring up at him like that, all innocent and curious, he was more in love with her than ever. What should he tell her? She wouldn't remember any of this conversation. If he was ever going to get his feelings out, now would be the ideal opportunity… He took both her small hands in his and gave them a squeeze.

"I fall more in love with you every day," he replied, looking deep into her eyes, "You're beautiful, smart, funny, and the best captain in StarFleet. However, you've decided to put protocol ahead of personal relationships, so I'm content just to be your friend. I'll always be there for you Kathryn, that you can count on."

She started at him in silence for several moments before getting up on her tip toes and kissing his cheek softly. "See you in the future," she said, favoring him with her smile before turning and exiting out the door, leaving him alone with his thoughts. He had to focus now – Voyager's future was depending on this.

…

"So what would've happened if you hadn't turned our deflector dish into a lightning rod?" Kathryn asked Chakotay. Voyager was safe and the two were back in her quarters finishing up their belayed dinner.

"We've been down this road before," he responded with a little smile.

"Have we?"

"You wanting answers to questions you shouldn't ask."

"But something did happen, outside the normal space-time continuum…" she started, leaving the end of the sentence to dangle in the air.

"Why do you think that?" he asked, suddenly on red-alert.

She didn't respond for several seconds. Looking down at her fidgeting hands, and trying to figure out what to say.

"I remember…"she finally started, speaking slowly. "I remember the day we got pulled into the Delta Quadrant…and the ship was divided into various moments in time…I went with you and we fixed everything…and before you left…you told me…that…you loved me," she finished, looking up at him with her beautiful blue eyes.

Stunned for several moments, Chakotay said nothing, unsure of how to respond. Finally though he found words, "Kathryn, I don't want to lose you. I will always be here for you as your friend. You don't need to worry about us being anything more."

"But," she replied, taking his hand, "What if I want to be?"

Chakotay couldn't believe he was hearing this. Was she finally giving him the invitation he'd been waiting for all these years? Slowly she brought her lips to his, kissing him gently. Soaring inside, he pulled her closer and deepened their kiss, exalted when she responded with equal passion. Several minutes later they broke apart, but they still kept their hands entwined.

"I love you Chakotay," she said, tracing his tattoo with her finger, "I'm just sorry it's taken me so long to finally say the words."

"That's alright, we have an entire future ahead of us," he said, brushing back a loose strand of her hair.

"Hmmm…the future…Any predictions?" she asked him, nestling into his side.

"Only that in a few minutes this bottle will be empty."

"Then maybe you should go to the Cargo Bay and grab another one," she replied, laughing.

"How do you know that's where I keep it?"

"Oh, I can't tell you," she said, a mischievous grin on her face.

"Why not?"

"Temporal Prime Directive," she replied, eyes gleaming. Laughing he leaned down and kissed her before getting up to get some more cider.

…

Later that week the Captain and Commander were walking arm in arm down the corridors on their way to the bridge when they passed by Icheb and Naomi. The two were laughing and so engrossed in their own conversation that they didn't notice the two children walking in the opposite direction.

"There Icheb! I told you they loved each other!" said Naomi, a smug look of satisfaction on her face.

"So you were right about that. That doesn't mean you were right about Seven and the Dr." Icheb replied, annoyed that the young girl had gotten the best of him.

"Oh, I'm right about them too. You'll see," said Naomi with a smile before running off to find Neelix.


End file.
